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Tornado in a box, solar energy and the power of the wind are just a few of the science demonstrations making their way around Indiana in the new mobile science lab.

The lab will travel the state, helping students learn about the energy of storms and renewable power sources. Duke Energy backed the program with a $400,000 grant, and educators from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis' Center for Earth and Environmental Science lead programs. The lab, equipped with solar panels and a wind turbine, is part of an effort to encourage more students to pursue careers in science, math, engineering and technology.

The lab made its debut in May with about 180 sixth-graders at Brownsburg East Middle School in Brownsburg, Ind.